How to handle chickens while on vacation

[DanLeaAnn7]

I've just read thru some posts by people going on vacation, and for the most part finding someone reliable to check your chickens, get the eggs, refill water & food everyday is the best idea - here is my problem, hope someone can help me with some ideas.
1. I don't have a reliable person to watch the chickens, we live in the boonedocks and have a new neighbor girl about 14 but I haven't a clue how she would do on chicken duty while we are on a 3 week vacation. We have 18 chickens, no roosters, on sand in the run and coop. My thought was to switch over to shavings because I can't see this girl cleaning up the poop daily. I figure just getting the eggs each day is will be asking a lot. I am even considering leaving the coop door open (it is a covered run) so she won't have to come morning and evening to open/close the coop. (never had chickens on shavings)
2. other option is building a friend a coop and run and taking my chickens there. - expensive. The friend wants the chickens on shavings so she doesn't have to clean up the poop. She is a busy lady and doesn't want the hassle - so I am somewhat concerned about the whole transition thing, but thinking she would provide the best care because she would be "with" the chickens.

I am in a quandary as to which option is the best, any other ideas out there? I am taking my dogs to a kennel. Thanks in advance!

 

[Naturegirl44]

well from what i read, i would think the 14 year old the best way to go. Maybe have her come by every day the week before you go and work with her and then let her do it herself a few time with you around and maybe that will help your confidence in her. 14 is a good age. People give the responsibility of babysitting there children to 12-14 year olds so i think she will do well with them. Ask her if she will 'spend time with them' and not just pop in quick, do the chores and leave.

give her your contact info to call incase she has questions while you are away.

just my thoughts. sounds like a better idea than having to build another coop and putting your chickens through the stress of moving to someones who doesn't want to clean there poop every once and a while. .

 

[DanLeaAnn7]

Thanks NatureGirl I appreciate your input, I will get with the neighbor girl tomorrow and see if I can get her interested in chickens

 

[joan1708]

Is your run secure and big enough (hardware cloth)? I don't think you can depend on anyone to come sunup and sundown every day. I'm going to have the same issue next summer and I'm already thinking on it. I use wood shavings but scoop the coop poop up every day because my silkies are often broody and will sit under the roost. I'm going to make another secure run to attach to the regular run, so I can leave the whole thing open. I think I will have 2 waterers, make sure there is lots of treats to throw in. It still worries me, there is a lot that can go wrong.

 

[Murphy212]

I am anticipating the same issue as I travel several times a year. I have a three part plan to make it easier for the "chick sitter": 1. put in an automatic door so the "chick sitter" won't have to arrive at dawn and dusk, 2 set up a automatic watering system with a cooler and nipples, so water can last at least a week, and 3 set up a feed system, again so feed will last a week. The hiccup in my plan is the cleaning of the poop tray, haven't figured out a way to auto clean every day . Right now I use PDZ and just scoop it daily, but after a week, may be too much to scoop...still working on that problem.
My chicks are not laying yet..... but know egg collecting can be a problem too. I am hoping I can find someone to at least come some time during each day to check on situation, collect eggs, and make sure all is good. Maybe eliminating the early am and late pm tasks will make the job more attractive.
Wishing you luck on your vacation.

 

[Too Fast]

Yes good luck on your vacation, you will worry about your chickens tho. How about a little contract with the neighbor girl? Something in writing? They can keep the eggs as payment, or maybe a little extra $ for her?

I like the idea of keeping the pop door open with a secure run, we did just that when last week we took an 8 night vacation. My DW laughed when she said she'd never seen my clean up the campsite so quickly so we could get back home to the chickens! We had 2 people come over, one almost every day, to watch over our flock of 8. We are new to this, and just this week got our first egg, so the egg collection part wasn't an issue. A 3 gallon waterer and a large feeder negated a need for someone to come over every day, they could've come over every 3-4, but i fthe heat is on in TX a dailey visit would be best.

 

[vicki5112]

I hope I'm on the right forum to ask this question....there are so many different places here (all of them very informative). I have 2 Buff Orpingtons and I'm wondering if I should be feeding them twice a day or once. I'm thinking about when I go on vacation & trying to find someone to visit them twice a day. If I should continue to feed them twice a day, what are the best times to do that? I currently feed them & give fresh water when I leave them out in the morning & I always make sure there is feed & water in the coop every evening before I tuck them in. I know the morning feed time is OK but the 2nd feeding of the day I'm not sure of. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Mehjr10]

I hope I'm on the right forum to ask this question....there are so many different places here (all of them very informative). I have 2 Buff Orpingtons and I'm wondering if I should be feeding them twice a day or once. I'm thinking about when I go on vacation & trying to find someone to visit them twice a day. If I should continue to feed them twice a day, what are the best times to do that? I currently feed them & give fresh water when I leave them out in the morning & I always make sure there is feed & water in the coop every evening before I tuck them in. I know the morning feed time is OK but the 2nd feeding of the day I'm not sure of. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My chickens have layer free choice 24 hrs a day, water from a nipple system and I throw some scratch out for them in the evenings when I collect eggs.

My coop has an auto door that I built to open and close at fixed times. A 55 gallon rain water system with nipples and 5 gallon bucket feeder.. I also use a deer feeder to drop scratch while on vacation.. So basically i have someone to come over 1 time a day or at least every other day to get eggs.. For a week long vacation they usually do not have to worry about feeding and watering..

 

[Too Fast]

^^^That's what we do about feeding, They have access 24/7, I wonder if it is too much. They usually run around in our back yard and forage also. The food container is big enough that I only fill it every 4 days or so. Still haven't figured out how to keep algea from growing in the waterer. Is the nipple waterer a better way to go for that problem? What about collecting rain water off our cedar shake roof and into the nipple waterer.

 

[Mehjr10]

The rain water is good to go for the nipple system, that is what I do. And heck they drink from muddy puddles in the chicken run.. I use a little bit of bleach in my system to help control growth..

Here is another thread where I posted a tech sheet on using bleach and dosage, For those that use city water that is what is used there.. Use the unscented kind look for 6% heavy duty, or regular strength you will use a bit more.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/701228/bleach-in-chicken-water
Here is a University of Florida Article, I cant attach.

Pure water is essential for poultry health and production. Slime in
the drinking trough may cause lowered egg production or
occasional mild diarrhea, especially in caged hens. Sodium
hypochlorite, commonly used as a laundry bleach, is effective in
sanitizing poultry drinking water. Hypochlorite sanitation—called
superchlorination—will control water trough slime. It also provides
some control of nitrates and nitrites by oxidation. Hypochlorite is
readily available, inexpensive and safe. One gallon of bleach will
effectively sanitize up to 17,500 gallons of drinking water with a
chlorine level of 3 parts per million (ppm). Levels between 50 and
100 ppm are well-tolerated.
To control water trough slime, first clean equipment such as
troughs or drinking cups. Then prepare a stock solution of
1.5 ounces of bleach per gallon of water. Add 1 ounce of the stock
solution per gallon of water at the input station.
Avoid starting a flock on high chlorine levels. This could cause
birds to cut back on water intake, resulting in lowered egg
production. Begin with a 3 to 5 ppm chlorine concentration at the
input station. Gradually increase to 20 ppm at the input station, a
level needed to control trough slime. The chlorine residual at the
trough overflow will then be about 5 ppm.


This calcs out to 1.5/128xNumber of gallons to treat in tank= ozs to treat with.

if you don't want to make the stock solution.

My 55 gallon tank I will put in about .5 oz. every couple of week.. You can also get some test strips to test levels.

Hope this helps.